Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has assumed "responsibility" for the injury that has sidelined Daniele de Rossi but gave fans some cheer by announcing the imminent return of Kevin Strootman and Francesco Totti.

Italy midfielder De Rossi has been sidelined for a month after suffering a calf injury in the dying stages of Roma's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid in midweek.

Nadia Fanchini upstaged Lindsey Vonn and Lara Gut to provide a home winner in the women's alpine skiing World Cup downhill at La Thuile on Saturday.

The Italian set the standard early skiing ninth and was able to sit back and watch the two top skiers of the season try to match her.

FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al Hussein on Saturday enlisted the help of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to ensure a glass voting booth is used in next week's vote.

Prince Ali claims a glass booth is the only solution "to ensure transparency" in the February 26 vote in Zurich.

Pep Guardiola's horrendous injury list at Bayern Munich is "no accident or misfortune", but down to the wrong training structure at the German giants, says one of Germany's leading sports scientists.

Bayern face Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League in Turin next Tuesday with Guardiola's squad so decimated by injury that he did not have a single fit center-back for Sunday's 3-1 league win at Augsburg.

Australia's Daniel Ricciardo believes moves to offer drivers greater head protection won't upset loyal Formula One supporters.

The sport has traditionally been an 'open-wheel' event with drivers' heads, albeit protected by a helmet, and upper body exposed to the elements.

The legal restrictions on France and Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema over his alleged involvement in a sex tape case have been partially lifted, allowing him to contact international teammate Mathieu Valbuena, a judiciary source said Thursday.

The investigating magistrate in the case ruled that the legal constraints can be removed, but prosecutors immediately appealed against the decision, with the case to be heard before a court in Versailles, outside Paris on March 4.

Cristiano Ronaldo ended his away scoring drought with an impressive second-half goal as Real Madrid won 2-0 at Roma on Wednesday in the first leg of the Round of 16 in the Champions League.

The victory also marked a successful debut for Zinedine Zidane as Madrid's manager in the elite competition, with the 10-time champion taking a big step toward the quarterfinals.

Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo expressed his sadness on Thursday at the condition of Michael Schumacher, two years after the former Formula One champion was seriously injured in a skiing accident.

Montezemolo was asked if he had any news about Schumacher, who sustained severe head injuries in France in December 2013 and is being cared for at his home in Switzerland.

Julian Draxler scored two classy goals to lead Wolfsburg to a 3-2 away win over Champions League newcomer AA Ghent in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.

At 22, Draxler confirmed himself as the new creative force of a team which had been struggling, scoring just before and just after halftime in the first leg match.

Even as Red Bull revealed new livery and talked of a new era for the Formula One season, a reminder of last season's struggles wasn't far away.

It was right next to team principal Christian Horner in an east London warehouse.